


Love Like Lights In The Windows

by Inky_Scribbles



Series: Asexual Dick Stories [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Accidental Coming Out, Asexual Character, Asexual Dick Grayson, Coming Out, Gen, Jason Todd and Dick Grayson are BFFs, Jason Todd is on good terms with the batfam, Jason knows what's up, Mild Language, jason Todd is a good bro, thats also implied, well it's implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-06-25 20:01:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15647937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inky_Scribbles/pseuds/Inky_Scribbles
Summary: He hadn't really expected the casual crunch of gravel against rubber boot, but he knew who it was without turning around all the same.





	Love Like Lights In The Windows

Patrol was slow that night, so Nightwing took the time to admire his city. Well, his second city.

Perched high on a fifteen storey building, he contemplated the little blinking lights that dappled the tangled forest of metal and concrete known as Gotham. It wasn't his usual spot to sit (that was the next city over, but Nightwing had agreed to keep an eye on Gotham while Batman was busy doing space business), and it showed in the almost imperceptible stiff cross of his shoulders, but it was a good view. It was vastly different to the Gotham cityscape he had become used to as Robin, but it was a good different. For one, people dared to keep their lights on at night (where before they had been too afraid to be singled out against the darkness). It was pretty.

He hadn't really expected the casual crunch of gravel against rubber boot, but he knew who it was without turning around all the same. In fact, it was a welcome interruption, and he'd even tell the intruder that if he didn't know that it might embarrass him enough to leave. Not that he'd admit that.

His brother flung himself down on his left, the same way he always did, and always used to when they were younger— when they were kids.

"It's changed." Jason mumbled simply. Jason was perhaps one of the three who would know how different it had become (Bruce being the third).

"I know." Dick replied, just as simply. The silence stretched for some time, and perhaps by now Nightwing should have moved on, checked on some other part of the city, but it was rare, now, that he got to spend time alone with the brother he'd known longest. Despite his past wrongdoings, he had changed, and they'd both made an effort to rebuild their relationship, and at this point they were probably closer than they ever had been before.

Normally, it would have been Dick who broke the silence, but Jason seemed to have an agenda this time. Not that it wasn't the usual for him (Jason liked to have a purpose to what he did; it was Dick who usually made "pointless" social calls, although not often at this time of night), but Dick hadn't thought that it would be about this. He supposed he should have known, really.

"So... I heard about what happened with the others," he leaned back, and it would have been casual if not for the nigh invisible worry in the way his arms propped him up. Quick and straight to the point, he noted. That wasn't abnormal for Jason either, but this time Dick couldn't quite put his finger on why.

It was quite obvious what Jason was talking about, even if he hadn't specified which "others" and what "happened" he was referring to. It didn't take a genius. Dick almost played dumb, but he knew how persistent Jason could be when he felt like it.

"Yeah." Still, he stared stubbornly at his boots.

"Want to talk about it?" It wasn't a question, not really, but Dick knew that Jason would let him leave if he really wanted to.

"There's not much to talk about, really," he explained softly, in the end. "They found out. It was an accident. Damian's a little confused, but he's starting to get it, I think. He learns quickly."

There was a short pause. It wasn't comfortable or uncomfortable; it was just a pause. "And Bruce?" He didn't need to ask about Alfred. Alfred probably knew before Dick himself.

Dick paused too, but masked it by sighing and laying back against the roof, one arm cushioning his head. Jason eyed him from where he was. "Is on... international business. He doesn't know." Bruce is always on international business. In fact, he's hardly ever on national business. So much so that they usually only ever call "international business"... business. They both know the hidden meaning behind "international business", but because they were using civilian names it was best to keep the extent of the international on the down-low.

"Will you tell him?"

When Dick didn't answer immediately, Jason lay down on his side next to him, and Dick took the moment to marvel at how close they truly had gotten. Jason was genuinely caring for Dick's minor issues. In the face of that, could he really avoid answering completely honestly? "I don't know why I worry, really." He whispered to the night air, maybe a little afraid that their small pocket of silence would be startled away. A curl of mist clouded the air when he spoke. "I mean, I can figure that he probably won't reject me or anything. It's not as though it affects him that much. He wouldn't really care." Or he thought Bruce wouldn't, anyway. Maybe he was just overthinking. "Other people have it worse than me, it's just..." he sighed. "I don't know. It's still scary."

Under normal circumstances, Jason might have made a joke about that. He'd probably incorporate his death somehow, just to mess with him, and Dick would laugh with a vaguely unnerved look on his face and tell Jason he's traumatising or something along those lines. But the air of seriousness, and maybe the vulnerability that hung over him like an open cloak stopped him, because Jason said nothing for a moment. When Dick glanced at him, Jason looked like he was mulling over his words.

Eventually, he said: "I can get that, yeah." Then he breathed in, and looked Dick in the eyes, a tiny grin playing at his lips, "But you worry too much, 'Wing." It was something Jason said a lot, mostly just to prove his point that Dick was a mother hen, but also in serious situations like this. But that wasn't what caught his attention— or, what caught most of his attention. And he knew for sure that Jason had intended it.

'Wing. His nickname while in costume. Probably to remind him that he had faced scarier things than a father who didn't have much hold over him any longer. To remind him that he was stronger and braver than that. Because Jason would never say that our loud. The wimp. He huffed out a laugh, and just like that, the tension and seriousness dispersed. "You're right, I guess."

Jason scoffed. "Of course I am."

Dick smiled. Despite all that they'd both been through, being broken up and taped back together again, they were still brothers. Still family.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this at 3 AM, and finished at about four, which is why I'm posting it now, hours later. I was tired at that point, I suppose. I was a little paranoid about the tags in the last one so I ended up spending some time editing them.
> 
> The second instalment! A lot faster and longer than I normally would have written anything, but I'm kind of on a roll. Even if the characterisation feels a little dubious in this one.
> 
> Next time will either be Dick with Damian, or with all the batbros. There will probably be more explicit asexuality, because I don't really like keeping things implied like this. I want him to be out and supported and proud. And just happy, really. The last two have kind of been low-key angst.


End file.
